How To Write Your Social Work Resume
Writing a CV for social work applications is different from a typical resume. This article serves as a guide for applicants who are applying to social work programs. Read on to learn about what you should include, mistakes to avoid, and how to format your resume so that it meets best practices for the social work field.
What Is The Difference Between a CV and a Resume?
A resume and an academic curriculum vitae (CV) serve different purposes.
A resume highlights work experience, skills, and accomplishments for job applications. It is tailored to specific job requirements and is typically only 1-2 pages in length.
In contrast, an academic CV is a comprehensive document showcasing academic and research achievements in detail. It includes sections such as education, research experience, publications, and presentations, catering to academic and research contexts.
The main difference lies in the focus on professional experience for a resume and academic accomplishments for an academic CV.
What Should Be Included in a Social Work CV?
Education:
Your first heading should include your education. I advise applicants to only include post-secondary education and leave high school education off.
Social Work Experience and Internships:
If you have worked in the human services or if you have had internships I would put those early in your CV. The reader is likely to pay more attention to what is on the first page, so you want to ensure that they get a sense of your relevant experience first. You may choose to break up your paid experience and internships into separate headings for better organization of your CV.
What If I Have No Social Work Experience?:
Don’t discount your “non-relevant” experience in your resume because you likely have gained many soft skills that will contribute to your social work career.
When you are writing your job descriptions for non-social work experience, focus on skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving more than your actual roles and responsibilities.
For example, in my role at a fast food chain one of my responsibilities includes managing the cash register and taking orders – this is not super relevant to social work. What I should focus on is the fact that my role taught me skills in teamwork, communication, and thinking on my feet.
While you may have no direct social work experience, you can definitely highlight your soft skills and insights that apply to social work!
Credentials and Training:
Include any training, certifications, and credentials you hold on your social work CV.
One mistake many applicants make is “credential stuffing” their CV. They fill their resume up with 1 hour trainings and webinars they attended. This makes your resume “muddy” and takes away from the credentials that the reader actually cares about. Make sure you are intentional about including trainings on your CV, and only include those that you truly think add to your overall skillset.
Research Experience:
If you have research experience you should definitely include it on your social work CV. Include any research positions, publications, or formal research projects that you were part of. Most Master of Social Work programs are course-based, so having research experience is not a requirement, but it is sure to stand out in your application!
Languages:
If you can read or write in another language this is typically an asset in the social work field, so it should be reflected in your CV. Include the language, and fluency at the written and spoken medium.
Social Work CV template:
Get our social work CV template that follows best practices for the social work field.
How Do I Write My Social Work Job Descriptions?
Don’t Make the Mistake of Copying Your Job Description
One of the biggest mistakes I see when I edit social work resumes is applicants make the mistake of copying the job description they got from their employer verbatim. Job descriptions provided by an employer are often messy and are definitely not optimized for your resume. Instead, you should follow this recipe to write your job descriptions:
Start by Describing What Your Job Is:
What would you tell a friend, family member, or acquaintance when you tell them what you do for work? That’s what your first line should be! I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to review a resume and after I had no idea what that person’s role was.
Include both the task you did and the population you worked with. For example:
Provided clinical social work services rooted in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with adult clients experiencing addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse and loss
Case management, service coordination, support, advocacy, and referral for families who have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
So many applicants make the mistake of naming off skills and responsibilities but they don’t actually tell the reader WHAT they do and WHO they serve. As the reader I want to understand what your job actually is before learning about duties and responsibilities.
2. Highlight Social Work Skills in Your CV:
Next, highlight your social work skills, accomplishments, and roles. Here is a list of soft skills and roles that you can use to write your resume descriptions:
Crisis intervention
Active listening
Ethical decision making
Empathy
Organization
Communication
Critical thinking
Advocacy
Time management
Patience
Boundary setting
Problem solving
Communication skills
Intervention
Leadership
Collaboration
Assessment
Flexibility
Community development
Research and policy
Education
Mentorship
Case management
Documentation
3. Keep your Job Descriptions Short and Sweet
Employers and admissions committees typically skim your resume and CV, and I often see applicants add 10+ bullet points outlining all of their roles and responsibilities (that they got from their job description, of course!)
The truth is, there’s no way they’re going to read all of that, and most of what you’ve written is probably fluff. Instead, you should pick 2-3 skills or roles that you think are important to highlight. If you were having a real conversation about your role and the skills you have, what would you say? This is what you want to highlight in your resume.
Get our social work resume and cover letter templates to get your CV done knowing that it meets best practices for the social work field.
How do I Format My Social Work Grad School CV?
Avoid Fancy Templates
In general, social work resumes and CV’s should be plain, and honestly, kind of boring. You can use Microsoft Word and come up with a style that is consistent, clean, and offers a lot of white space to make it easy on the eyes. Avoid using images, graphics, and fancy colours. The other benefit of using a simple social work CV template is that they are often easier to tailor.
Here is an example of a social work CV that can be used for your grad school or job application.
Here is a sample of our social work CV template. To get your own copy of this social work CV template head here.
Longer Than a Traditional Social Work Resume
Grad school CV’s are generally longer than social work job resumes. While a traditional resume is typically no longer than two pages, grad schools typically want to see all of your experiences. Don’t stress about keeping your grad school CV at two pages.
Never Include Your Full Address in Your CV
I always recommend leaving your full address off your resume. In our digital world, employers and grad schools don’t need your full address to contact you, and giving them your exact address at the application stage can lead to bias from the reader.
For example, they may make assumptions about you based on your neighbourhood, such as your socio-economic status or your commute to work. None of this is a potential employer's business, so it’s best not to give them access to this information about you.
Instead, I recommend only including your city/town and state/province. You may even choose not to include your location at all depending on the role.
Don’t Say References Available Upon Request
References are typically a mandatory part of the MSW application process. Most Schools of Social work ask applicants to provide both academic and professional references as part of the application process. Therefore, writing “references available” upon request is a waste of valuable space on your CV.
This concept also applies to social work jobs. Most employers require references as part of their hiring process and they WILL request your references. Instead, it’s better to show up at your interview with your references ready to go.
Keep Your Formatting Consistent and Edit
One of the biggest challenges people face when crafting their CV or resume is keeping it consistent. It’s important that all of your headings, subheadings, and overall structure of your CV is consistent so that it’s easy for the reader to find all of the information they need. One of the best ways to make sure your resume is consistent is to use a social work specific template.
Finally, be sure you edit your resume. Use spell-checkers, ask a trusted colleague to review your resume, or get your resume professionally reviewed by MSW Helper.
[FULL TRAINING BELOW] How to write your grad school CV for the MSW program
Related resources:
